JAVA PROBLEMS

Grey River Argus, 16 February 1946, Page 7

JAVA PROBLEMS

Views of “Tasman 7 5 ,? Captain INDONESIANS NEED STRONGER HAND P.A. AUCKLAND, February 13. Travelling with Captain Eleveld on the ship, Tasman (which arrived to-day with nearly 500 refugees from Java) are his wife and two sons, William aged 16 and John aged 13, who were separated and interned at Bandoeng by the Japanese. They had some months jn hospital before travelling. All are suffering from .malnutriton, Mrs. Eleveld being particularly ill. An unusual touch of domesticity in the captain’s cabin was a sewing machine. William and John had the unenviable task of digging a grave for one of their companions, who was shot by irresponsible Indonesian snipers when he wandered from a camp some time after the Japanese surrender.

Captain Eleveld expressed -his personal opinion that the Indonesian leaders were simply collaborateurs of the Japanese. In his opinion the wrong policy was being followed. The strong hand should be used. Indonesians respected being treated strongly, but fairly. All the evacuees were taken on at Batavia, most of them being from camps there and at Bandoeng, said the captain. They were a pitiable sight when the ship left Batavia on January 26. but soon recuperated. Many came aboard with nothing more than the clothes they stood in, and those usually consisted of dirty, worn shorts, slacks, shirts and blouses. The best of food and medical attention was given them during the voyage. At Brisbane, 150 disembarked, and clothes were bought for the remainder. A Red Cross team of 14 nurses and a doctor joined the ship at Brisbane.